Signal apparatus.



J. F. HILL.

SlGNAL APPARATUS.

1.,1'?3,663. Patented Feb. 29,1916. 1 2 SHEETS SHEET I.

J. F. HILL.

SIGNAL APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20,1915.

Ll'wfififig Patented Feb. 29,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l/wdrmcm PATENT UFFTCE.

JOHN F. HILL, OF GRIFFIN, GEORGIA.

SIGNAL APPARATUS.

Application filed July 20, 1915.

T0 (1 whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN F. HILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Griffin, in the county of Spalding and State of Georgia, have invented a new and useful Signal Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improved signal apparatus, adapted for use on railways, to signal to pedestrians, whether or not a train is approaching a crossing.

One of the features of the invention is to provide a housing having a rocking shaft therein provided with a wheel, on which is mounted diametrically disposed staffs,- there being guiding means therefor, one staff having a danger flag, the other having a nodanger flag, which shaft has connections with suitable means, to be actuated by a member on a car or train for actuating the shaft.

In practical fields the details of construction may necessitate alterations, falling within the scope of what is claimed.

T he invention comprises further features 'and combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a view in perspective. showing the signal apparatus as applied. Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the housing of the signal apparatus, illustrating the means for operating the same. Fig 3 is a sectional View on line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail. sectional view showing the means for holding the rocking means of the shaft positive in the position adjusted. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 55 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a section of a railway, showing a north bound track, and a south bound track, illustrating a signal on the right of the south bound track to be actuated by a train traveling south, and a signal on the right of the north bound track. designed to be actuated by a train traveling north. The two signals are identical in construction, therefore in describing the structure, only one of the s gnals is described in detail. Therefore 2 denotes a housing. in-bearings of which a shaft 3 is mounted, and movable with the shaft 3 is a mutilated gear 4 and a disk wheel 5, a portion of the edge of which wheel 5 is provided with a plurality of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

Serial No. 40,872.

teeth 6 as shown. Pivoted at 7 and 8 of the disk wheel at points diametrically opposite each other, and upon opposite faces of the disk wheel are staffs 9 and 10. The upper portions of the staffs are provided with flags 11 and 12. The flag 12 is provided with a no-danger sign or signal 13, whereas the flag 11 is provided with a danger signal or sign 14. Referring to Fig. 1 it will be observed that a train bound south is illus trated, therefore the flag 11 is disclosed above the housing displaying the danger signal 1%. There is no train in sight on the track bound north, therefore the flag 1?. is illustrated above the housing displaying the no-danger signal. When the no-danger signal is in view above the housing of both signals, the pedestrians are warned that it is safe to pass over the crossing, indicating there are no trains approaching. However, when the danger signal of either signal, or both the pedestrians are warned against passing the crossing, and of the fact that there is a train approaching. In order to guide the staffs and maintain them substantially perpendicular, pins 15 and 16 project laterally from the staff, which pins extend into slots 17 and 18, formed diagonally opposite each other in the adjacent faces of the opposite walls of the housing. It is to be noted that these slots are curved on an arc, corresponding to that. on which the pivotal connections 7 and 8 of the staffs move, and owing to the pins engaging said slots. the staffs during their movement will remain substantially vertical. Engaging the teeth of the gear 4 is a short chain 19*, and connected at 19 to one end of said chain is a wire or rod 19, which in turn is pivoted at 20 to the short arm of the lever 21, which is pivoted at 22 to a connecting plate 23 supported bv two of the ties. The lever 21 of the north bound track is shown vertical, and a no-danger signal displayed. Connected to the other end of the short chain ]9* as shown at 19 is a rod or wire 24. which is considerably shorter than the rod or wire 19. The wire or rod 24 is in turn pivoted at 25 to the short arm of the lever 26 pivoted at 27 to a plate 28, which also connects and is supported by two of the ties. It is to be noted that the lever 26 is disposed upon an angle. The lever 21 in practice is designed to be arranged considerably remote from the crossing. whether upon the right hand side of the south bound track, or upon the right hand of the north bound track, while the lever 26 is designed to be arranged adjacent the crossing. Supposing a train bound north upon the north bound track actuates the lever 21, by a member on the car. In this case the lever 21 will be tilted in the direction of the arrow a, pulling upon the wire 19, imparting motion to the gear 1- and the shaft 3 in the direction of the arrow 2'), which will cause the flag having the danger signal to be thrown above the housing, and which operation will actuate the lever 26 to a vertical position. Just as the north bound train is about to make the crossing, the member on the car will contact with the lever 26 which is in a vertical position, and restore the lever 26 to its initial inclined position, causing the no-danger signal to appear above the housing, and restoring the lever 21 in a vertical position for the next train. The same operation is enacted by a train bound south on the south bound track, but actuating the signal upon the right of said south bound track. To hold the signals positively in the position to which they may be moved, a holder 36 is secured at 37 to the bottom of the housing, and in which holder a spring tensioned pin 38 is mounted, the upper end of which pin has a roller 39 to engage between any two of the teeth 6. It is to be observed that when the disk wheel is moved to the position shown in Fig. 2, the spring tensioned pin and the roller will maintain the same to such position, or any other position.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and useful is A signal apparatus comprisinga housing, a shaft mounted in bearings thereof, a disk wheel on said shaft, a staff having its lower end pivoted to the disk wheel and having a signal flag at its upper end, said housing having in its side a segmental curved slot, the curvature of which being formed on a radius corresponding to the distance between the pivot of the staff and said shaft, said staff having a lateral pin extending into said slot to maintain the staff constantly in a vertical position as the disk is rocked in one direction or the other, means having connections with said shaft for rocking the shaft and disk in one direction or the other, said disk having teeth, and means cooperating with the teeth to hold the disk positive to the position to which it has been moved.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN F. HILL.

Witnesses:

WILEY L. SMITH, J. M. THoMAs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for 'five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

